A Lakeland man pleaded guilty to pimping underage girls at parties he arranged in Florida and across the southeastern United States.

Michael Gallon, 48, recruited women and at least 12 underage girls to join his dance team, the plea agreement said. Gallon would then take the women and girls to parties he arranged where they would dance and perform acts of prostitution.

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According to the plea agreement, Gallon set up "VIP" rooms, where he would encourage the women to engage in commercial sex acts, federal investigators said.

He would charge the women to use the rooms and keep most of the money they earned, investigators said. One girl told federal investigators she performed 30 to 40 sex acts on various men for free because she thought Gallon cared for her.

Gallon would buy drugs from men at the parties and resell them to the women, according to the plea agreement.

Gallon pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion and distribution of child pornography. Gallon faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date for his crimes has not been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, Gallon must make restitution to at least 12 of the victims.

The Lakeland Police Department worked with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate Gallon.